


Trespassers

by Borninbusanpjm



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - College/University, Assassins & Hitmen, Blood and Gore, Dark Web, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV First Person, Satire, deep web
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-11 15:35:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15318639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Borninbusanpjm/pseuds/Borninbusanpjm
Summary: Lim Changkyun, a chemistry major, becomes infatuated with the dark Web, and what better a time than the day he gets his own computer? As it turns out, timing won't be in his favor anytime soon, as life as a hitman is just a few clicks away.





	1. The Dark Web

**Author's Note:**

> (1st the reason I'm posting this now is because it's been a draft for a while and it's close to getting automatically deleted, hopefully I get to my other works soon)  
> I was so hyped about this idea I had for such a long time and I finally wrote enough but became way less excited, and now I'm just neutral. Btw I don't have much knowledge about the dark/deep web if it isn't obvious lol but either way I hope this turns out well. Expect long chapters and even longer gaps between chapter releases.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kinda gross in my opinion, and I'm talking about the dark Web parts. Honestly they aren't even that bad, especially since I plan to have worse things written soon in terms of gore, but you've been warned(it's only 2 brief instances here).

(Changkyun's POV)  
  
I didn't know.  
  
I had just gotten a new computer for my birthday, which happened to coincide with my newfound knowledge of the dark Web. I downloaded as many onion and tor browsers as my hard drive could handle.  
  
I prepared for the gargantuan journey of delving into the dark Web by indulging in a seemingly endless YouTube marathon. By the end of the night, I figured I had learned more about the dark and deep web than I'd ever learned about chemistry, my major. I was only a sophomore, though, so surely I had a lot more in store for me.  
  
"Alright," I said to myself, disregarding the time. I stretched my arms out in front of me, cracked my knuckles, and pushed my swivel chair in further. "Let's do this!"  
  
I was ready.  
  
I turned on all of my onion and tor browsers before opening multiple windows and tabs. Better safe than sorry, I guess.  
  
I was giddy with excitement, hands too shaky to type correctly. The next step of each tutorial was almost consistent. "What was it again? Oh, I got it!"  
  
"Oh my god! Can you just go to sleep already?! You've been on that computer for hours on end, watching random videos WITHOUT HEADPHONES! And now you wanna start talking to yourself?!"  
  
I nearly fell out of my chair. Soonyoung, my roommate, had woken up from his slumber, or hibernation, rather. His jet-black hair was less disheveled than the usual bed head, presumably from covering his head with a pillow to block out the sound. I felt guilty; I was so entranced by the concept of the dark Web that I'd forgotten about his existence.  
  
"S-sorry, man. What time is it?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know, maybe try looking at your computer, as if your eyes haven't been glued to it this entire time!"  
  
"Oh, right," I said, laughing at my stupid question.  
  
I looked at the bottom right side of the screen and realized, to my horror, that it was 3 am. My chemistry class was to begin in 4 hours.  
  
I sprung up from my seat, but it had followed suit. It shouldn't have been a surprise, considering I'd been sedentary for quite a while, but the shock of falling to the floor with a chair attached to me had been enough to make me gasp.  
  
Waves of humiliation and fatigue washed over me at the same time. Seeming to consider the scene before him as revenge, Soonyoung cackled.  
  
"Shut...up, Soon...I'm tired..."  
  
Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep. I dreamed about the dark and deep Web. Shocker! I soared through pixels, splitting some apart in the same manner that salt ions react in water. As each one slid past me, I caught glimpses of Web pages: chat rooms, black markets, torture rooms, scandals, secrets, and more.  
  
Among them, there was one that caught my attention. Maybe it was because the vowels were replaced by Xs, or because of the horrible yellow-brown-black color scheme. I approached it slowly so as to delay its disappearance, and I got close, but it was too late.  
  
  
  
In what felt like only a minute later, our alarm had started blaring. The chair was still stuck to me, which meant that I was seated and lying down at the same time. What a time to be alive!  
  
Soonyoung pathetically rolled off of his bed in an attempt to turn off the alarm. When he saw that I was still in the same position as I was 3 hours ago, he giggled.  
  
"Wow, what a great start to the day!"  
  
"Stop laughing and help me up."  
  
The screen saver on my computer was still going. I shook the mouse and immediately became tempted to begin searching.  
  
"Oh, no, you're not! Get dressed already!" Soonyoung said, pulling me off of the chair and dragging me to the bathroom. While I was in there, he had shut down the computer for me.

We were both out the door with 30 minutes to spare, which was more than enough time, considering the proximity of our apartment to the university. We walked slowly.  
  
"So," he began. "Why are you so psyched about this dark Web stuff all of a sudden?"  
  
"I found out about it recently and got curious. Before I learned a ton about it, it was mostly the concept of delving into the unknown that got me hooked. Wouldn't you wanna see what lies beneath the surface of the Internet we claim to know and understand?"  
  
"Yeah, but I've heard quite a lot of bad reviews about it, if you catch my drift. There's so many things in the dark Web that make me glad I'm not as curious as you."  
  
Soonyoung was right. The obscurity of the dark and deep web, as I believe it, partly lies in societal norms and the idea of conformity; any sound person would steer away from them if they were privy to what they held. To do the opposite would probably render anyone a social deviant. No wonder it remained hidden.  
  
"I know, but that's just life for you. Not everything is nice and positive. You might see a decapitation every now and then, and there's nothing wrong with that!"  
  
"Gross," he giggled, giving me a playful shove. "Seriously though, it's messed up. I bet the first time you enter the dark Web, depending on whether you go far enough, you'll regret ever hearing about it."  
  
"I think I'll be fine. Remember when we did that run the gauntlet thing? I lasted the whole time without looking away while you ran off screaming after the first video!"  
  
"Uh, let's not bring that up. I'm sensitive to the concept of breaking limbs."  
  
That was fair. In his defense, he was a dancer who valued perfection. He felt that breaking any bone in his body or seriously injuring himself would permanently render him unable to reach said perfection through his moves. I expected nothing less from a performing arts major.  
  
"Sorry. If you had stayed longer, you would've been pleased to know that there weren't any other videos of limbs breaking after that one. Just...everything else that comes to mind upon hearing the term 'graphic.'"  
  
"Oh, nice! It's a shame I missed out," he said, laughing.  
  
We had eventually reached his destination first.  
  
"Bye," he said, diverging from our path. "Good luck on that chemistry test!"  
  
My eyes widened despite how tired I was from a lack of sleep. "Test?!"  
  
"Yeah, you know, the one you prioritized studying the dark Web over. You'll do great! That is, if they asked how many moles of blood are shed during the average decapitation!"  
  
As he turned and went on his merry way to a class that didn't have a test that day, I stood there, clutching the straps of my backpack. How could I have been so foolish?  
  
I quickly reassured myself that I had been paying close attention in class, which might make up for my lack of preparation.  
  
I began walking confidently to class, ignoring the stares from groggy students. Maybe getting 3 hours of sleep had been energizing, in a way.  
  
Sure enough, we did have a test, and I was sure that I'd aced it. Acids and bases? Piece of cake! I blazed through every titration problem without any issues. Even particle diagrams, which were the hardest for me to do.  
  
After turning in my test and leaving, the fatigue had returned the instant I'd closed the door. I tried to maintain my positive attitude, but no amount of positivity could overpower negativity, which in this case was being extremely tired.  
  
The next two classes were terrible. It was a struggle to keep my eyes open, let alone focus on what was being lectured to me.

As if the world had been on my side, or perhaps the opposite, my last class, political science, had been cancelled for the day due to an emergency. Right after my third class, the professor had emailed us about it, but I walked over out of curiosity. There was a sign on the door.  
  
"Dear political science students,  
Classes will be cancelled until further notice. Professor Kang has been murdered. There have been no suspects found, but the case is ongoing."  
  
I was worried and relieved at the same time. I hated that class, but I wondered who would hate it enough to kill the professor.  
  
All in all, it was the perfect opportunity for me to browse the dark Web. I speed-walked home, eager to finish what I had barely started.  
  
When I got back to the apartment, I dropped my bag by the door after closing it and immediately walked over to the computer.  
  
I was alone, with nobody to talk me out of anything. No Soonyoung to warn and chastise me between clicks. Whatever was so bad, I just had to see it for myself.  
  
Maybe it was the lack of sleep that affected me. Maybe it was the overwhelming urge to seize the opportunity and use my extra time.  
  
Either way, I was not in my right mind.  
  
The browsers were still on, but I checked them to make sure. I was too impatient to close the windows and tabs from earlier, though.  


The Web pages from my dream were there, more vivid than ever. I saw organs for sale on the black market, some of which were photographed next to their victims in coolers filled with ice. I wondered whether those who sold the organs of others drank the remaining blood like fruit punch on a summer day.  
  
I came across a live torture room. Before clicking on the link, I remembered Soonyoung's complaint from earlier. "How rude of me," I said to myself. "Surely nobody would like to listen to screams of agony accompanied by drills and saws on a nice afternoon like this one!"  
  
I rummaged through my bag for headphones. After untangling them, I plugged them in and entered the page.  
  
A young girl about my age was strapped to a wooden table, covered in blood. Her hands were surrounded by stray nails.  
  
"HELP ME!" She screamed, looking up at the camera that provided a birds eye view from the short ceiling.  
  
A masked man wielding a hammer came into frame, causing her to whimper. "Ain't nobody gonna help you," he deadpanned. "They're all here to watch the show."  
  
What had she done to deserve this? I felt bad, but what could I have done? I had no idea where they were, or what her story was. It was a shame, really.  
  
I leaned closer to the screen in anticipation for what would happen next. The man took one of the nails and positioned it over the second knuckle on her middle finger. It had been her right hand. Then, Higurashi-style, he hammered it in as easily as one would attach a picture frame to a wall.  What a beautiful image it was. He didn't stop there, though. Immediately afterwards, he hammered a nail into every last knuckle before moving on to her left hand.  
  
At that point in my life, I had never heard anyone scream the way the victim did after having nails driven into her knuckles. I couldn't doubt the possibility of the wooden table being a deliberate choice.  
  
I'd had enough of that Web page. Onto the next one! I started to feel tired again, but I had convinced myself to continue.  
  
Why sleep when there are so many realms in the dark Web to enter? Sleep is for the weak.  
  
The next page I came across was a live decapitation room. Unfortunately, I had missed the beginning. A masked man sat in front of the camera, surrounded by shirtless, muscular men who were also masked. They were about a few minutes in; I was able to tell that much judging by the three centimeter gap between the head and neck.  
  
They sawed through the skin, muscle, and bone like one would cut through a tough, gamey piece of steak at a restaurant. That one in particular had been extra rare. Blood gushed with every slice as the saw slid back and forth.

 

I nearly fell asleep waiting for the final slice. It honestly felt satisfying to watch the head snap and roll out of frame, but at the same time, I was certain that I was bound to vomit at any moment.  
  
I scrolled and clicked past links, looking for something random. That was when I saw one and opened it.  
  
It was a website for those looking to hire a hitman.

The yellow-brown-black color scheme made me cringe, finally triggering my gag reflex. After dashing to the bathroom and blowing chunks into the toilet, I looked past the literally vomit inducing detail and turned my attention to the title.  
  
It read: TRXSPXSSXRS.  
  
I squinted at it, wondering if my drowsy state had reached a level in which vowels were substituted with Xs. I knew that it had been the same way in my dream, but it still left me puzzled.  
  
I aimlessly moved my cursor around the screen. When I reached the bottom right corner, the arrow had turned into a hand. I found it odd, seeing as there were no buttons or words on that part of the screen. Clearly, it was hidden for a reason.  
  
So I clicked it.  
  
A new page opened, displaying a black quote over a beige screen: "True hitmen take advantage of small details." -Shownu  
  
Then, red letters started materializing before my eyes.  
  
They spelled out: E N T E R  N A M E A N D A D D R E S S.  
  
To this day, I couldn't tell you what exactly came over me upon seeing the basic yet intrusive directions. In my series of mistakes, this had been the worst one yet. There would be no turning back after this.  
  
I had only entered my name at that point, but my address had suddenly appeared under it. Immediately regretting everything, I frantically tried exiting every window and tab. It was no use, as they kept reappearing no matter what.  
  
I had suddenly forgotten about being tired. All I felt at that moment was fear. I backed away from my computer, staring at it as if the girl from The Ring was to emerge from the screen within a matter of seconds.  
  
Stock photos of random weapons began to flash on the screen in half second bursts. A part of me wanted to laugh, but I held back, out of fear that I would've been injured by them somehow. After what had seemed like forever, the slideshow had stopped and the screen went black.  
  
I slowly approached the screen to move the mouse. The instant I did, a slender looking young man appeared, causing me to scream and fall backwards. My headphones were ripped from my ears, yet they still clung on to the computer for dear life.  
  
I lifted my head to see him snickering, a sly smile forming on his thick lips.  
  
"Who are you and what did you do to my computer?" I asked, getting up and putting my headphones back on.  
  
His eyes diverted between me and a screen to his right. He was typing. "The name's Hyungwon, and it's called hacking. I'm sending you an address, so come over right away."  
  
"Woah, hold on," I said. "What makes you think I'll listen to you? I'm not doing whatever this is, I've changed my mind!"  
  
"You think you have a choice at this point? You're the one who clicked the secret button, and instead of turning back right away, you decided to type your name into our search engine, which is why we now know your address. And before you ask about all the other Lim Changkyun guys that could be around here, your IP address was traced the instant you clicked the link."  
  
Despite the low quality website and features, everything else seemed to be state of the art. I was impressed.  
  
"So, what now? You're gonna make me a hitman?"  
  
"Precisely. Well, technically, you made yourself one the instant you gave us your name, and anyway, that's not set in stone yet. It all depends on whether you pass the test, and if you do, you'll begin training immediately."  
  
"And if I don't pass?"  
  
"You'll die on the spot."  
  
An address flashed on the screen in front of him.  
  
Heaven Avenue. Oh, the irony.

  
"Wear all black," he instructed. "I expect you to arrive in 20 minutes. See you there!"  
  
"Wait--"  
  
Hyungwon, as well as the entire Web page, had vanished without a trace. At that point, I had returned to the beginning, facing a page of links.  
  
That had been enough dark Web browsing for me. I closed all of my windows and tabs just in time for Soonyoung to arrive. I took my headphones off.  
  
"Hey, how was the test?" He beamed. "You're here early."  
  
"It went way better than I thought. Oh, and by the way, Professor Kang is dead, so I guess we won't be learning any political science for a while."  
  
"Yeah, I saw the notice on the door. Who'd hate the class that much? I mean, I didn't like it, but not to that extent!"  
  
"Exactly! Some people are sick."  
  
Soonyoung tossed his bag aside and jumped into bed, exhausted from dancing, I supposed. "Oh, lemme guess, you used your extra time to look through the dark Web. How was that?"  
  
"Pretty odd. Suddenly, I'm a h--"  
  
I immediately stopped myself. Given the position I was in, I knew that it had to remain a secret, even from him.  
  
"A what?" He asked, lifting his head. Then, as if he'd gotten the answer, he sat up expectantly. "Oh, I know! You're a Harry Potter fan now! Trust me, even I know how messed up that fandom can get, with their supposedly authentic spells and all. What house are you in?"  
  
"Uh, slytherin," I said, standing up. "Well, I gotta go. I'll see you later."  
  
To conceal my navy blue t-shirt, I put on a leather jacket before hitting the streets. I biked all the way to Heaven Avenue, which I assumed to be Trespassers headquarters. I was right.  
  
I had left my bike about a block away. Once I managed to locate the area, I discovered a narrow entranceway and followed it until I reached a dead end.  
  
There was a light shining above me, scanning my body. "Step back a bit," said a friendly voice, to which I obliged. The wall had slid over to reveal a gate akin to that of heaven. I watched in awe as it opened up for me.  
  
In hindsight, even the most abysmal depths of the Internet couldn't have prepared me for what was to be opened and revealed later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was kinda long. As of now I'm not sure if the other chapters will follow suit.


	2. A Test and a Tour

(Changkyun's POV)   
  
"Enter."   
  
I immediately stepped inside just in time for the gate and wall to shut behind me. At that point, I was officially sealed in, bound by the fate of whether or not I'd pass the test.   
  
I took a moment to marvel at the interior. It had been one of those buildings that appeared to be small from the outside, only to end up exceeding expectations and square units on the inside. It looked like a futuristic lab mixed with a multimillion dollar corporate building, front desk and all. Silver and black made up most of the color scheme, which, considering the web page, was a relief to see.   
  
"Lovely place, isn't it?"   
  
A bit northeast from where I was standing, a man stood up from his seat at the front desk. He approached me and shook my hand with a smile.    
  
"You must be Changkyun. My name is Minhyuk, nice to meet you!"   
  
"Likewise. So, now that I'm here, what's going to happen?"   
  
"I'll take you to the lower level, which is where you'll take the test. If you pass, I'll gladly give you a tour in honor of your initiation, and then I'll hand you off to Shownu and Wonho for training."   
  
"And if I don't pass, I'll die on the spot, right?"   
  
"Wow, you catch on fast! Precisely. Well, technically, you'll be led to the lower, lower, lower level, which is where Kihyun and Jooheon will take care of things."   
  
I gulped. "H-how many hitmen are there, by the way?"    
  
"Well, there are 6 of us who run the place including myself, but there are 10 in total. If you happen to become a trespasser, which is our preferred term as opposed to hitman or assassin, it'll be 11!"   
  
Suddenly, I heard the sound of a walkie-talkie. He took it out of his pocket and listened closely.   
  
"Minhyuk, the testing area is ready. Do you copy?"   
  
"Roger that," he replied. He then turned back to me. "Shall we?"   
  
"Sure."   
  
As if I had a choice.    
  
Even if I'd arrived with a bulletproof vest on, I was sure that it would've been no match for his seemingly disarming smile.   
  
We walked over to the elevator, which looked like a clear cylinder. I was shocked at the amount of buttons, ranging from LLL to 12.  _ Just how big is this place? _ I thought to myself.    
  
The generic elevator music calmed me down as we descended towards my impending doom.    
  
When Minhyuk and I stepped out of the elevator, we were met with two buff men clad in black vests. One of them, pale with slightly longer hair than the other, was the first to speak.    
  
“Hi Changkyun, I'm Wonho. From the looks of you, I don't expect much, but let's hope you prove me wrong.”   
  
“Yeah, I agree. Maybe you'll be one of those guys who just looks weak but turns out to be the complete opposite. There are some great hitmen out there who have that seemingly innocent vibe to them, like Minhyuk for example. I'm Shownu by the way, a.k.a. the one who runs this place.”   
  
“Nice to meet you two,” I said, trying not to look intimidated.   
  
“I'll stay and watch,” Minhyuk said, briefly placing his hand on my shoulder. “Good luck! This is only the first part of the test.”   
  
"We'll be up there," Wonho said, following Shownu and Minhyuk up a long set of stairs.    
  
It was then that I got a good look at this lower level. It was an arena with depths and features the likes of which I'd never seen before. Think a less intense version of American ninja warrior but with weapons and more danger.   
  
They all stood at the front of a wide indoor balcony overlooking the entire arena. Shownu had suddenly acquired a microphone and began speaking into it.   
  
"Alright, so, this entire floor is the first part of the test, which is to assess your physical strength. It's alright if you're not the best since there's always room for improvement, but you at least have to be good enough."   
  
Wonho, who also had a microphone, gave me instructions. "Go over there," he said, pointing to a moving walkway at the beginning of the course.    
  
I couldn't help but notice that it was no ordinary moving walkway, with its speed and 10 pendulums in the form of scythes.   
  
"It's alright, don't be phased!" Minhyuk said. "You might have to use a scythe someday!"   
  
"Get on the walkway and go through it, easy as that. Just don't get nicked by the scythes, and if you simply duck, that'll be considered cheating," Shownu said, taking his microphone back from Minhyuk.    
  
I stepped on the walkway and braced myself. I was immediately met by a scythe that was the perfect height to target my neck. Luckily, it had swung to the right just as I kept moving forward.    
  
My plan was to avoid them and act as if they weren't there, which only worked for some of them due to the fact that I wasn't moving on my own accord. For the rest of them, I used my arms to push them away by the handles and shield myself. It was a good thing I had my leather jacket on.    
  
I made it off and was relieved. That was until I saw a 4 yard tightrope over a huge pile of knives and razor blades.    
  
"Good job on that first part," Wonho said. "Now, get on that tightrope and walk all the way to the end without falling."   
  
The rope was pretty thick, but it still didn't reassure me much. I didn't want to keep them waiting, so I immediately stepped on it, only to nearly lose my balance already.    
  
I decided to take a different approach and turn sideways while quickly shuffling to the right. I lost count of how many times I pathetically lost my balance and wavered while flailing my arms around to get it back, but at least I didn't fall!    
  
"Nice strategy here as well, kinda. Next!"   
  
I was either excruciatingly slow or extremely fast.    
  
When that was over, there was a rock climbing obstacle that nearly reached the ceiling. There were no harnesses or even rocks. Instead, there were gloves and I had to grab onto butcher knives along with the occasional blade. It was at this point that I finally wondered what any of this had to do with being a hitman, but I didn't dare to ask. After all, the lower, lower, lower level wasn't that far away.   
  
When I was close to the top, I slipped and fell to the floor, a blade slicing my hand a bit on the way down.   
  
"Woah!" I heard Minhyuk yell without a microphone. "Are you okay?!"   
  
"Yes!" I replied, standing back up.    
  
I was determined to finish. Either I hurt myself trying, or get killed for giving up and failing.   
  
I got to the top and flipped myself over to the other side, which, instead of going down, led to 3 long ropes over a vat of clear liquid. Assuming that it was water would've been futile.    
  
"I don't know how much you know about physics," Shownu said. "But momentum is crucial for this one. Oh, and that's sulfuric acid, by the way."   
  
"Great," I deadpanned.    
  
This one was nearly a blur for me, looking back.   
  
I quite literally took a leap of faith onto the first rope, propelling myself forward with every fiber of my being. I just remember it being over quickly, especially since it was only 3 ropes and I was driven by the fear of falling into the acid. I reached a platform and held onto a pillar, wanting to be as far away from the last course as possible.   
  
"Yay!" Minhyuk yelled.    
  
"I'm pretty impressed," Shownu said, nodding. "You finished the most physical part of the test. Now, go down those stairs and open that door."   
  


The trio went down the stairs of the balcony and followed me to the final part of the test. The door slid closed behind us.   
  
To my relief, this part was shorter, less horrifying, and more practical.   
  
Wonho grabbed 4 pairs of hearing protectors from the wall and handed one to each of us. "This is gonna simulate what it'll be like to kill someone, or multiple people, while they're moving or trying to run away. Be as accurate as you can."   
  
"Where should I aim?"   
  
"Usually it's the high chest area that guarantees a kill, but if you just wanna render them unable to move first, aim for their limbs."   
  
"What kind of gun do I use?"   
  
"Whichever one you think is best. We won't tell you this because we need to see if you have a good eye for selecting weapons," Minhyuk said before jogging over to a safe on the other side.   
  
He opened it and beckoned me over, Wonho and Shownu in tow. The safe shifted into two parts that each slid outwards, revealing an arsenal of guns and assault rifles.    
  
I picked out a simple hand gun and was instantly astonished by its weight. Not only was the weight of the bullets on my mind, but so was that of the three lives within arms reach. If I wanted to, I could've shot them, but I didn't.    
  
We all put our hearing protectors on and walked over to the shooting range. The targets were sheets of paper the size of the average human body, and they constantly shifted in every direction.    
  
On my first try, my first time ever using a gun, I obviously missed, barely grazing the target's hip thanks to my trembling hands. I eventually steadied them and began shooting with accuracy. On my fifth try, I began to get the hang of it to the point where I almost felt ready to go on my own killing spree.   
  
However, the targets started moving faster and more frequently, getting me out of my rhythm. Just who moves that much? I thought.    
  
I started missing again, but eventually started hitting some vital points like the heart and head. It was fun, almost like a game.   
  
I felt a hand on my wrist. When I turned to my right, I saw Shownu nodding proudly. I set the gun down and took my hearing protectors off.    
  
"Is it over?"   
  
"What?" He asked before removing his own.   
  
"Is the test over?"   
  
"Oh, almost. I'm impressed. You started off rusty but got the hang of it and stuck with it. I admire that."   
  
"Thanks," I said, looking down and blushing. "I think it's the fear of getting killed that really motivates me."   
  
"Now for the next part," Wonho said after laughing at my joke. "This is gonna test how well you can hide. Minhyuk, lights off, please."   
  
"On it! Level 1."   
  
The room became dim.    
  
"You're about to get caught! Hide, Changkyun! You have 10 seconds."   
  
Immediately, I went behind them and sprinted to the other side, the one that was completely dedicated to hiding. I found a pillar that was the closest to the wall and hid behind it, trying to minimize my size somehow.    
  
Wonho took out a flashlight and scanned the area, but he found me in no time. I squinted in shame beneath the light.   
  
"You gotta be better than that. If we were on a mission right now, you'd be screwed."   
  
"Two more tries," Shownu called out. "If you fail this last part, you'll fail the whole thing and get killed, courtesy of us."    
  
Minhyuk just shrugged and nodded.    
  
"Alright, I'll try again," I said confidently.   
  
It was only a façade, though. I was far from confident, and more angry than anything else. If I were to fail after all that I'd done up to that point, I'd have been rolling in my grave for centuries.    
  
Time was of the essence. I had to find some way to hide without getting found, and fast.    
  
"Level 2!" Minhyuk beamed.    
  
The room became even darker. I was still able to see, but I wished it were a bit brighter.   
  
"Make it 3," Shownu said. "I believe in you, Changkyun, and anyway, I love a good challenge."   
  
"Okay. Level 3!"   
  
The room became pitch black. Not only were we not able to see each other, but I had no idea where to hide. They all started counting down from 10. I was still standing by them, silently panicking.    
  
And then I had an epiphany. It was a long shot, but I had nothing else to do in that short amount of time. I sprinted behind them over to where I remembered the door was and opened it slightly to fake them out. Then, I ran towards the safe; Minhyuk had left it ajar, as I remembered, so if I were to open it, get inside, and return the door to its original position, I'd be in the clear.    
  
The instant I got in and readjusted the door, the countdown was over. It was a very tight fit and I couldn't see them at all. All I could do in that moment was pray and hope that the flashlight never gave away my position.

* * *

  
As for the results, of course I passed! After all, I'm the main character, and if I'd failed, I wouldn't live to tell the tale.    
  
However, I passed out in the safe; my fatigue had finally caught up to me.    
  
It turned out that Shownu, Minhyuk, and Wonho couldn't find me and eventually had to give up upon hearing no response; they assumed that I'd escaped. When Minhyuk opened the safe to return the gun, he was shocked to see me inside. He beckoned the other two over and they all gave me a round of applause.   
  
I woke up in a bunk bed at around 6 pm and was immediately startled by the sight of long, slender legs swinging back and forth from the top. The instant I hit my head, they stopped and seemed to be startled too.   
  
"Oh!" Hyungwon said before climbing down with a laptop in one hand. "Hello again! Why is it that you're always scared when I see you?"   
  
"Well, you've only seen me twice, and you've managed to scare me both times."   
  
"True. Well, I'm here to log the rest of your information since you're one of us now. The first thing I need is your code name. Do you wanna be called anything else other than Changkyun?"   
  
"Hmm...maybe I.M."   
  
"I.M? Sounds cool, I'll log that," he said, typing. "Just so you know, your number is 11, which is assigned to each of us based on the order that we became trespassers. Now, for living arrangements, do you wanna live here to be as close as possible?"   
  
"Uh, no, I have an apartment. I'll stay there and come back and forth if need be."   
  
"Alright. And the last question is, what's your specialty?"   
  
"What?"   
  
"In terms of being a trespasser a.k.a. a hitman or assassin, what are you the best at that will come in handy for missions?"   
  
"Oh, I guess you could log chemistry in there. I'm studying to become a chemist, after all."   
  
"Ooh, that's a good one."    
  
After he finished typing everything, he spoke into his walkie talkie. "Hyungwon for Minhyuk."   
  
"Go for Minhyuk!"   
  
"Come to our room."   
  
"Roger that."   
  
About a minute later, Minhyuk showed up. "Hi, Changkyun, I hope you're doing alright. We were kinda caught off guard when we saw you passed out, but we were VERY impressed!"   
  
"I was really worn out and sleep deprived, but I'm fine now. I'm just glad I passed."   
  
"Good, well I'm here to give you that tour I promised, so let's go!" He said, using his whole arm to gesture for me to come along.    
  
Hyungwon and I said our goodbyes and I closed the door. The corridor was long and resembled that of a hotel. As we walked towards an elevator, I noticed that the numbers on Hyungwon's door were 3 and 5.   
  
"This is one of the three corridors where some of us live. That was Hyungwon and I's room," Minhyuk said.    
  
"What are the numbers for?"    
  
"They're assigned to us based on the order that we became trespassers. I was the third to join and he was the fifth, so they're on our door since we live here. Are you gonna live here? Because if so, I'd be happy to show you your room."   
  
"Oh, I have an apartment. I'll live there instead."   
  
"I hope you live close. You'll be spending a lot of time here! Have you picked your code name yet, or are you sticking with your original one?"   
  
"Yeah, I picked I.M. Do you have one?"   
  
"It's just my name. The first place we're gonna go is the mission assignment room. You'll be in there often after your training period is over."   
  
"Oh, how long will I train for?"   
  
"Two months," he said, pressing the button labeled 1. "That may seem pretty short considering the nature of what you'll be doing, but trust me, there'll be a lot packed into it!"   
  
The LLL level was solely for killing people, specifically those who fail the test, which is held on the lower level. The lower, lower level was meant for training and enhancing skills. The 1st floor included the main desk where Minhyuk usually stayed, the mission assignment room, and other miscellaneous things. Floors 2-4 were offices while floors 5-7 were corridors; floor 7 included a stairway leading up to the rooftop.   
  
We had started on the 5th floor, so it didn't take long before we arrived on the 1st one.    
  
"Ooh, check this out," Minhyuk said once we got off of the elevator.    
  
Across from the main desk was a bulletin board with sticky notes containing quotes. Stamps, pens, and stacks of new sticky notes were on the sides of it. Puzzled, I looked to Minhyuk for an explanation.    
  
"These are last words from victims. It's a daily thing that we have to see who has the best one. You write your code name at the top, followed by the quote at the bottom, and whoever has the most stamps gets to have it on top for the week while the rest get replaced."    
  


The winning quote for the week was “This is unlawful and unethical.”

  
"Oh, it seems interesting, but what's the point of it?"   
  
"It's to make light of what we do. You see, we're used to killing people all the time to the point where it doesn't phase us anymore, but we're still aware of how serious it is to end one life at the request of another."   
  
"Wow, talk about dark humor," I said.    
  
"We love that here! Now, let's go to the mission assignment room."   
  
The mission assignment room was to the left of Minhyuk's desk but slightly behind it at the same time. Inside, there were lockers, each labeled by number.    
  
"Here's mine," he said, opening a locker labeled 5. "This slip of paper says that I'm assigned to kill some foreigner named Trevor Davis. Since it doesn't say 'urgent,' I can do it at any time today, so I'll just do it after the tour."   
  
The paper also included descriptions of the soon to be victim along with their address. He also explained that assignments only show up in lockers upon getting clocked in, and showed me the “exit only” door that was mostly used for urgent missions.   
  
"Does the way you kill them matter?"   
  
"Only if the person who hires one of us indicates that they want the target to be killed in a certain way. When somebody needs something done, they either call and I answer at my desk, or they go on our website where Hyungwon receives the request. Hey, that rhymed!" He said, laughing proudly at his sudden poetic skills.   
  
I have to admit, the juxtaposition of the process of hiring a hitman with a childish remark was pretty funny.    
  
"So, yeah," he continued. "Once the job gets done, they pay up, and it's just a cycle. Now, do you wanna check out the offices first or the training room? I'm sure you don't wanna see the triple L level, but correct me if I'm wrong."   
  
"You're right about that. Let's see the offices first, and then the training room. I gotta go soon."   
  
We'd started walking towards the elevator.   
  
"Sounds like a plan! Say, have you ever seen a dead body up close?"   
  
"Not yet, I guess."   
  
The offices were pretty basic, but I didn't expect much anyways.    
  
The training room was just as big as the testing arena, if not bigger. One side resembled a full gym outlined with rock climbing walls while the other side had a shooting range and an area dedicated to knife and accuracy training.    
  
"Wow," I said, looking around.    
  
"The astonishment will wear off soon enough! Also, nobody's here right now, but some of us come here to work out and improve our skills occasionally. Some of us clock in on the weekends too."   
  
We eventually came back to the 1st floor.    
  
"You're leaving already?" He asked.    
  
"Yeah, I have lots of homework to do."   
  
"Oh, alright. Come back tomorrow to start your training, then."   
  
He went to his desk and pressed the buttons corresponding to the door and gate. "Go ahead."   
  
"Thanks, bye."   
  
The sun had set, rendering the sky amber and dark blue for the time being. I had to come home quickly before Soonyoung suspected anything.    
  
When I got home, he was already asleep.    
  
I looked over at my computer with animosity before realizing that I had an essay to write.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure how long this will be but I already know that this will be a part of a series, I just won't make it one for a while.


End file.
